Hematite headrest amulet

From EgyptLate Period,
after 600 BC

To ensure that you keep your
head

Headrests of stone, wood or ivory were an
essential part of bedroom furniture, and were included in tombs to
be used in the Afterlife. They often supported the head of the
deceased within the coffin, such as. for example, the mummy of
Ankhef. Headrest amulets could act as a substitute for the real
thing in burials, and they became particularly widespread in the
late Third Intermediate Period (about 1070-661 BC) and Late Period
(661-332 BC).

According to
Chapter 166 of the
Book
of the Dead, the
headrest amulet had two roles. It raised up the head of the
deceased in regeneration: At the beginning of the spell the
deceased is instructed to 'raise yourself, so that you may
be triumphant over what was done against you'. It also
prevented the head being removed: the spell closes with the
assurance that 'Your head shall not be taken from you
afterwards, your head shall not be taken from you for
ever'.

Headrest
amulets were made of hematite or a dark stone, reflecting their
association with the Afterlife, and continual protection of the
deceased.